Territory Story

Terri Polman is owner of Fetch - Office Choice in Berrimah, an Australia Post partner and Chair of Territory Proud. Born in Townsville, Terri and her husband, Peter, found their way to Darwin going the long way round via Sydney and Perth on a working holiday. Her favourite place other than Darwin is Kangaroo Island. A passionate and hard working business owner, Terri talks about her life and times...

Tim Wachter is a lawyer in Erie, Pennsylvania with the firm Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett. The pundits have predicted that Pennsylvania will determine whether Biden or Trump win the US Presidential election next week. So we take a deep dive into US politics with Tim to get a feel for what is happening on the ground in this State. On the way we learn about Tim’s life growing up in Erie, it’s ec...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. The stories: 1. Zachary Rolfe to stand trial over death of Kumanjayi Walker 2. New campaign disclosures show Terry Mills’s massive donation to party 3. ‘There is a lot of angst’: Opposition calls on Gunner Government to intervene in Katherine...

The youngest of three children, Deboo was born and grew up in Mumbai, India, in a family with strong connections to Bollywood. His two sisters were models. Growing up, Deboo loved nothing more than clubbing and sleeping. The Bollywood scene is very progressive but being gay in India is a real challenge as it is still not acceptable. Although Deboo’s immediate family was perfectly accepting, much o...

Kelly Noonan is the Managing Partner of Stokes Lawrence, a law firm based in Seattle, USA, and member of Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW). Last year, as a member of the Executive Committee of LAW, Kelly travelled to Darwin, Australia for an Executive Committee meeting. It was her first time in Australia. Besides giving us her first impressions of Darwin, Kelly talks about her life growing up in...

Neil Anderson is a lawyer in Edinburgh, Scotland. He’s also a big fan of the Territory Story podcast and has been to Australia several times including the Territory. We thought it would be nice to swing over to Scotland (again) and get an antipodean view of the world. Neil takes about his life growing up in Scotland, his love affair with Australia and his work as a lawyer. This is Neil’s Territory...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. The stories discussed: 1. More than 400 public servants hired since government hiring freeze implemented 2. No courts, no detention under bold idea to tackle the NT’s escalating youth crime 3. ‘We face a big challenge’: Budget cuts, low atten...

Clinton Hoffmann is the owner of Ambrose Business Solutions, a firm that provides accounting services. He is also an entrepreneur and a thinker. Clinton talks about his life growing up in Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory, his adventures travelling the world playing cricket and his mental well-being journey that inspired him to create the IF project. This is Clinton’s Territory Story.

Damien Ryan is the Mayor of Alice Springs. One of four boys, Damien was born in Alice Springs in 1955 and has lived his entire life there with the exception of his high school years which he completed in Adelaide. His parents both came from South Australia and his father took a position in the Mines Department in Tennant Creek. After high school, Damien started a photography business and was invol...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, David Wood, stand in Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. 1. The list of donations to NT political parties has been released with a number of interesting ones. 2. The AMANT have called for an urgent review of quarantine procedures after there was what was described as a "rave party" at the H...

1 billion disposable cups end up in landfill every year in Australia. That’s according to Sam Roussos and Nathan Lee, two young Territory entrepreneurs who are leading a social enterprise to tackle this problem. Sam and Nathan both grew up in Darwin and feel a very strong connection to the people here. They are best friends, went to Darwin High and finished school last year. They both are studying...

Peter Forrest is a historian. Born in Sydney he grew up in Longreach, Queensland. Peter studied law and practised for a few years before deciding that history was his real passion. He has written several books including two on the bombing of Darwin. He’d like to write a third. Peter shares his story including his observations on the Vietnam war and Darwin’s historical significance as the only capi...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. These stories include: 1. Federal Budget - What was in it for the NT? 2. Human remains found at NT cattle station 3. Darwin engineer found guilty of professional misconduct by building board 4. NT Oriental Emporium fire 5. Bus drivers threate...

Kate Worden is a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the northern suburbs electorate of Sanderson. At the recent Northern Territory election, Kate managed to increase her primary vote and has turned what was a bell-weather seat into the second safest seat for Labor. This success and her experience has seen her promoted to cabinet. She is now Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing; Mi...

Glenn Grantham was born in Perth and grew up in the late 70s and 80s. He loves AFL and East Fremantle and the Dockers are his teams. Blessed with natural intelligence, Glenn sailed through school and applied to become a fighter pilot in the RAAF. He was accepted but had to wait a year as they thought he was too young. That was a fateful decision as Glenn tried his hand at real estate and he was ha...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. These stories include: 1. Government ban on NT Independent news outlet sets dangerous precedent, experts say 2. NT records new COVID-19 ‘weak positive’, ‘highly unlikely to be infectious’: acting chief health officer 3. Government’s ‘double s...

Emma Nesbitt is the General Manager of the Darwin Innovation Hub. Originally from Bunbury, Western Australia, Emma has travelled across Australia and even spent time in Papua New Guinea. Emma shares her story and what the Darwin Innovation Hub is doing to promote local innovation on this episode of Territory Story.

Peter Gowers and I had the privilege and honour of interviewing the 29th Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull. We talked about many things relating to the Territory including: his relationship with Territory politicians in Canberra while he was PM; the lease of the Darwin port; the Royal Commission into children in detention; and funding for outcomes in indigenous communities. Finally we...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. These stories include: 1. Senator Sam McMahon labels the NT Police Commissioner and the NT Police Minster as ‘devious’. 2. Michael Gunner lets slip the real reason for the relocation of Parrtjima events. 3. The Darwin RSL looks set to be buil...

Craig Glass is the Principal of Haileybury Rendall School. Born and raised in Melbourne, Craig started his career as a maths teacher before moving into school administration. He has many years of experience working in the Victorian private school system. Three years ago, Craig and his wife seized the opportunity to come up to Darwin after the government sought interested parties to takeover the fi...

Natasha Griggs is the former CLP member for Solomon. She’s currently serving as Administrator to Christmas Island as well as the Cocos and Keeling Islands. Born in Adelaide and raised in Alice Springs, Natasha is a true blue (in every sense of the word) Territorian. After finishing her studies in Alice Springs, Natasha moved to Darwin and completed a degree in information technology at the then No...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. These stories include: the Chief Minister dropping the ‘F-bomb’ on ABC radio; use of private consultancy contracts in the NT public service contributing to escalating Territory debt; ICAC flagging report into systemic issues in the public ser...

Matthew Kerle is a local boy. Born and raised in Darwin, Matthew finished school and completed a degree in information technology before spending several years as an IT geek (his words). But Matt is not your average guy, he is a thinker and is genuinely kind. Those attributes combined with his sense of adventure led him on a trip to Russia where he met a girl who had similar attributes whom he was...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. These stories include: NT Independent being expelled by the Administrator; New Cabinet - Nicole Manson out as Treasurer; public service job cuts; Chief Minister to hand down Budget in November, and more.

The life of a migrant is a mixture of hope and sadness. No matter where you come from, there’s always a sense of loss of familiarity and trepidation of the new and unknown. Deirdre Bartie was born in a small town in South Africa and grew up during the last two decades of apartheid. It wasn’t until she finished university and went backpacking in Europe that she was exposed to a different view of he...